Chapter 15
‘Here we are, home again,’ Ciaran said with a broad smile. ‘Don’t get out until I turn on the outside lights, Roxie. Billy will not be here for nearly an hour yet even if he gets here promptly at five o’clock.’
‘We seem to have made good time so we might have time to put the six milking cows through the parlour before he comes?’
‘We?’ Ciaran laughed. ‘I thought you would be heading for the house and a few hours’ proper sleep now.’
‘I’d never leave you to unload them on your own. Everything will be strange to them. We’ll get them out together. Then, if you agree, I’ll help you milk them.’
Ciaran leaned across and drew her close to give her a lingering kiss.
‘I feel I’m the luckiest man in the world, Roxie,’ he said softly before he climbed down from the lorry. A few minutes later, he opened her door and held out his arms. She slipped into them as though she did it every day. He held her close while he kissed her again.
Neither of them dreamed of the news and shock awaiting them.
* * *
‘We shall have to unload the four young calves first. They’re at the back,’ Ciaran said.
‘I phoned Billy yesterday evening before he went home, and asked him and Vic to bed one of the calf boxes for the four calves and a large clean pen for the older animals so everything should be ready.’ He frowned.
‘Billy is not the obliging fellow he used to be. He sounded rather disgruntled to hear I’d bought more milk cows. ’
‘I expect they might make a bit of a mess when they see a strange place and a different parlour. He will be even less pleased at that unless we can wash things down before he arrives,’ Roxie said.
‘The sound of the milking machine and getting cake in their troughs will help them feel familiar and we’ll soon clear up. Once they’re milked, they can have the rest of the day to eat and sleep in comfort in a well-bedded pen.’
It was easier than either of them had expected and they were finishing milking the six new cows when Billy arrived.
‘I’ll take some of this warm milk and feed the four calves we brought,’ Roxie said, leaving Ciaran to discuss the new animals with his dairyman.
She had finished feeding the calves and checking they were well bedded in clean straw and had a supply of water, when she saw a car drawing up beside the house.
She was surprised when Donald got out. Ciaran was also crossing the yard, after helping Billy wash down the parlour after the six strange cows had left a trail of mess in their nervousness at being in new surroundings.
They restarted the engine to start the main milking, a quarter of an hour later than usual, but Billy should still be finished before the milk tanker arrived around seven thirty to eight o’clock.
They went together to see why Donald was out and about so early in the morning.
They stared in dismay when they saw how pale and strained he looked.
‘What’s wrong?’ Roxie asked urgently. ‘Is it the baby?’
‘No, no, he’s fine. Oh, Ciaran, it -it’s your m-mother. She — she fell in the kitchen during the night. I — I have just come back from the hospital.’
Ciaran stared at him in concern. ‘Fell?’
‘H-h-hospital?’ Roxie stammered.
Donald pushed his fingers through his tousled hair and looked as though he might faint with exhaustion.
‘We had better go inside,’ Roxie said. ‘Then you can sit down and tell us what happened. I knew I should not have gone away, especially for so long. H-how is Amy now? Can we see her?’ She glanced at Ciaran. She knew how tired he was after the long drive, but now his face was white and drawn.
‘Oh, God,’ he said. ‘I’m the one who should have been here for her.’
Roxie was blaming herself, and near to tears as she ushered them both into the kitchen and sat them down.
‘What happened?’ she asked Donald as she automatically pushed the kettle onto the hot plate of the Aga to boil.
‘You will not be able to visit for a while. The hospital said you could phone in a couple of hours, but the paramedics gave her an injection for the pain when they got here. Then at the hospital they gave her two tablets. They reckoned that was the best thing until the surgeon arrived. I had to admit I’m not her next of kin, but I told them she had been intending to have an operation privately with a surgeon from Glasgow.
They seemed to pay more attention when they heard that, but the last thing Amy had said to me was, “Mr Whittaker’s card .
. . front pocket of handbag. Tell him.” So I searched for it. ’
‘Did you find it?’ Ciaran asked.
‘Yes, Jenny did anyway, before I followed the ambulance to the hospital. Jenny packed her toiletries and things she might need.’ He drew a white printed card from his inside pocket and held it out to Ciaran.
‘I didn’t really know what to do. When they knew I’m not her next of kin and I had mentioned the surgeon from Glasgow, they almost showed me the door. ’
‘Oh, Ciaran, they must surely let you in to see her when you are her only son,’ Roxie said. ‘Surely they can’t operate or anything without your consent. I will drive you there. You’re so tired and — and sh-shocked.’ Her voice shook and she brushed away tears.
‘You’re just as tired and shocked as I am, Roxie.’
‘I’m sure they’ll not be in a hurry to operate,’ Donald said.
‘I was a bit miffed at the way they seemed to think it was not any of my business. I phoned the surgeon, Mr Whittaker, on my mobile, as soon as I reached my car. I apologised for disturbing him at five o’ clock in the morning, then explained what had happened.
He said I had done the right thing and he would phone the hospital right away, and tell them he was coming down and they had not to do anything except an X-ray until he arrived, and he had spoken with the chief surgeon here. ’
‘Thank God you phoned him, Don,’ Ciaran said, almost under his breath. ‘Thank you.’ They heard Jenny padding down in her dressing gown and slippers.
‘He said he could be down here in two hours at this time of day.’
‘Who are you talking about?’ Jenny asked. ‘I couldn’t go back to sleep. How is Aunt Amy and can we see her?’
While Roxie made them all a cup of strong tea and put some slices of bread in the toaster, Donald filled Jenny in with the details. Looking round them all, Roxie decided they were all tired out and needed at least a couple of hours sleep until about eight o’clock, before driving anywhere.
‘I should never have gone away before she had had her operation,’ she muttered, as much to herself as to the other three.
‘It was pure accident,’ Jenny said. ‘Aunt Amy came through to the kitchen for a drink of water. She forgot her stick. She meant to grab the table for support, but missed and grabbed a chair. It crashed to the floor and Aunt Amy fell over it. It’s a good thing I was feeding Peter or I might not have heard the clatter.
When I saw what had happened, I yelled for Don.
He was very good and knew what to do. We dared not move her when she was in such pain, but he covered her straight away and kept her warm while I phoned for the ambulance.
’ She shuddered. ‘If I hadn’t heard the crash, Aunt Amy would have been frozen by the time we came down for breakfast and found her lying there. ’
‘That doesn’t bear thinking about, and me miles away,’ Ciaran said with bitter regret.
‘Listen, Ciaran,’ Jenny said firmly. ‘Billy brought the can of milk for the house to the back door before he went home last night. He told us you had phoned and had bought some cows. He also said you would be setting off home in half an hour and Roxie was travelling back with you in the lorry. I can’t tell you how pleased and happy that made Aunt Amy.
So don’t go blaming yourselves — either of you — for anything. ’
‘That’s true,’ Donald said. ‘She seemed almost excited. I don’t know why because she knew you had gone fully intending to buy at least two cows.’
‘I think you should go to bed for a couple of hours at least, Ciaran,’ Roxie said. ‘There’s nothing you can do until your mother wakes up or until Mr Whittaker gets there. Was he going straight to the hospital?’ she asked Donald.
‘Yes, he said he would. Ciaran, old fellow, we’re all exhausted.’
‘All right.’ Ciaran sighed wearily. ‘But I will phone the hospital now and tell them I’m home and available, and I am her next of kin. I will insist they let me know if there’s any change, or when she wakes up.’
They all nodded agreement. Ciaran caught Roxie’s hand as she went to pass him.
‘I’d rather you rest here, Roxie, either on the big settee in the sitting room or you can have my bed. I don’t want you to go back to the bungalow yet. I would like you to come with me to the hospital. Please?’
He looked up at her with tired eyes, and she longed to take him in her arms and comfort him. Meanwhile they needed to be discreet and hide their secret feelings until Amy was well enough to hear their news.
‘Okay. You go to your own bed, Ciaran. I’ll rest on the settee.
’ She was sure there was no way she could sleep.
Her conscience was troubling her. What if the new damage to Amy’s leg had made the operation impossible?
Ciaran followed her into the sitting room and turned on the electric fire before he drew her into his arms and kissed her tenderly.
‘Jenny is bringing you the big duvet to cuddle up in. You have had as little sleep as I have so we should both try to sleep while we can.’ He sighed. `We don’t know what lies ahead.’
Roxie took off her shoes and undid the button on the waistband of her trousers, before she pulled the duvet around her. Between the warmth, and her weariness, she was asleep before she had time to feel her guilt, or to consider the problems that could lay ahead.
* * *